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The Next Pope
Sportingbet Australia Special Events
The next Pope - the Ultimate omen bet! Who will get the keys to the Pope Mobile?
Catholics are well known for their love of the punt and - yes - the Pope is a Catholic. But we wouldn’t want to offend, so if you’re feeling a little sensitive about the Papacy issue, please don’t read on.
Speculation that a new Pope will be elected shortly is rife. And while we agree with the Vatican that the outcome of the Papal election is strictly the work of the Holy Spirit, Sportingbet Australia invites you to have a little wager on the identity of the next Pope.
This is how the race is run – all cardinals under the age of 80 get a vote. We believe there were 114 at last count. These senior members of the Catholic hierarchy gather together in a Conclave – a secret meeting place behind closed doors in the Vatican – a time honoured religious tradition. The voters have no communication whatsoever with the outside world until a decision is reached (and we take their word for it). The first signal that the new Pope has been chosen will be white smoke rising above the Sistine Chapel.
The current favourites to replace John Paul II, at odds of $4.00, are Italian Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi and Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria, who has frequently been tipped for the Papacy.
Will we see our first African Pope? Or will popular choice – the Brazilian - Claudio Hummes get the honours? In all there are five contenders from Latin America, which may be a reflection of the increasing power of this part of the Catholic world, as our local membership declines. The Italians are well represented as expected, with ten runners in the top thirty.
The three rank outsiders happen to be Australian, but anything could happen in this election, and at $34.00 Cardinal George Pell could turn out to be the value bet of the event.
This is the ultimate omen bet, so look for a sign and you could get lucky.
Log on to Sportingbet Australia for the latest prices; check out our list of cardinals regarded as "papabile" – the Italian word for a possible Pope – and say a little prayer for guidance. For more information please visit our website or call:
Michael Sullivan Chief Executive Officer m: 0418 256 507
Brad Smyth Trading Floor Manager Sportingbet Australia p: 08 8923 8095 m: 0439 080 254
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